October 13, 2014

CBC After Hours: 2000-2014

"We're taking what I call a 'Stars First' editorial philosophy. Talk less about the business of the game, and more about great stars and great storytelling," said Scott Moore, president of Rogers Sportsnet and their NHL Properties. "We've invested a great deal of time and resource into an Olympic-style features unit, to go behind the scenes and tell great stories about what I think is the number one asset of the National Hockey League, the players."

Moore spent three years as president of CBC Sports before moving on to Rogers. So Moore would be familiar with a staple of the NHL, the players, and great storytelling: "After Hours." So why didn't "After Hours" make the move to Rogers' NHL vision?

The CBC started "After Hours" in the 2000-2001 season to follow the late Saturday night HNIC broadcast. Scott Oake was the host for the whole run and worked alongside primarily Kelly Hrudey, Marc Crawford, and Kevin Weekes.

The basic premise is that Oake and his partner talk about the game while waiting for the guests to arrive from the locker room. The fun starts when the guest arrives because the players or coaches were only minutes away from competing. If a coach or player had been on the losing team, Oake was always very gracious and appreciated them being there in "less than ideal circumstances." The conversation briefly touched on the game, but we learned more about the people than what they did during the game.

You could watch Cory Schneider do impressions. You discovered that Paul Bissonnette is one of the funniest NHL players, on Twitter or otherwise. Watch Roberto Luongo hem and haw over whether he is @strombone1. You even got to hear Ryan Kesler swear on live TV, and not have the host freak out.

I loved the scenes of driving down the road in whatever city they were in that week. I learned a bit about Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver before I got to see those streets for myself.

The charm of the show was that it took nothing seriously unless it did. Oake might take longer to find a question, opening up a chance for the colour analyst to ask an extra question. Live TV had its charms and whatever happened, Oake and his partner were all smiles.

The show got past soundbites. We found out how the players grew up. Silly stories from playing as a kid or teenager before making it to the NHL. We learned a bit about Canada through the stories: different places but a lot of similar stories. Families, friends, and coaches that made the player you see on the ice.

"After Hours" felt like a secret club that the adults didn't know about, but you never needed a special handshake. All you needed was curiosity … and the ability to stay up late.

The program ran from the end of the late game until 1:30 am Eastern, 3 am in Newfoundland and Labrador. And if you could stay up just a bit longer, the condensed versions of the evening games aired afterward.

When the NHL Network first got started, the channel would run the late HNIC game and then "After Hours" live. Even when the channel went to showing the late game the next day, "After Hours" would come along for the ride. Eventually, the NHL Network dropped the show and then the game.

NHL Center Ice viewers got to watch "After Hours" as part of the package. In the last couple of seasons, the segment disappeared from the coverage. Last year, NHL GameCenter Live viewers couldn't watch "After Hours" either, even with paying extra.

Regular readers know the struggles in tracking down the show online via CBCSports.ca. Sometimes you could find a segment or two on YouTube; thanks to those who posted the show online. Even if it took more effort, finding and watching "After Hours" was still worth watching.

When Rogers announced that George Stroumboulopoulos was the new host, I wrote these words about the future of "After Hours."

"The questions about "After Hours" range from what outlet will carry the show to whether the show will continue. The beauty of "After Hours" is that the program feels like what people do after the adults have gone to bed. Interestingly, "After Hours" is a lot about the people behind the hockey, lending itself to the storytelling angle."

We've watched George Stroumboulopoulos interview Canadian players and NHL stars in the last few days. The conversations dipped a bit into what it's like on the ice. But we didn't learn a whole lot about them as people. To be fair, the interviews aired on TV weren't complete; you have to go to sportsnet.ca to see the whole interview.

In Rogers ever expanding NHL coverage, there is plenty of room for what Stroumboulopoulos is really good at doing. We hear visions of 3-hour pregame shows. Plenty of time.

There is also room for "After Hours" — literally. CBC is already filling the holes left behind by the loss of the condensed games that aired after "After Hours" with yet more reruns of "Republic of Doyle" and "Dragon's Den."

Rogers could even take the content and run reruns of "After Hours" to create a talk block late on Sunday nights.

The last guest on "After Hours" was Edmonton winger Ryan Smyth after his last game on April 12. That evening turned out to be a last for lots of things. Smyth lasted 5 more years than "After Hours."

Smyth's time on the ice was done. CBC's "After Hours" still had life in it when the plug was pulled. RIP.

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We knew the condensed versions of the Saturday night games were also disappearing from the CBC schedule. They deserve an obituary, too. Whether you were getting back from the bars or a party in the East or missed the late afternoon game in the West, the condensed versions were a nice way to catch up.

Those getting the early game involving Montréal, Ottawa, or Winnipeg also found the condensed games useful to watch the Leafs game that they missed.

I recall times being in Windsor for the film festival and coming back from films to watch "After Hours" and the condensed games, sometimes with a container of poutine in my lap.

CBC is running Hockey Central from Rogers after the late game until 1:30 am Eastern, sparing yet another rerun. The fans watching at that hour will get to watch the same programming Rogers will run all night. At least the condensed games were reruns that served an audience, one now ignored under the new regime.

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If you have a favorite memory of "After Hours," please share it with us in the comments section. The memories won't bring the show back, but they can help fans deal with the loss.